Goat riding shotgun in suspected drunk driver's car doing well at Riverside County animal shelter

A goat confiscated from a suspected drunk driver near Hemet is unharmed and could be adopted out if its owner does not step forward, authorities said Friday.

The goat was discovered riding shotgun in a car stopped Tuesday night by a California Highway Patrol officer. While the driver remained inside the car, his passenger in the back seat leapt out and tried to run away but fell down.

Authorities suspected the goat was stolen after the driver and passenger denied ownership.

“It just sounds like they were on a drunken joyride, and the goat became their new buddy along the way,” said John Welsh, spokesman for the Riverside County Animal Services Department.

The goat was brought to the new Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter, where it was keeping company with a deer and several horses while waiting for its owner. Welsh said the animal shelters normally deal with cats and dogs, but more exotic creatures such as ferrets, tortoises and peacocks are not unheard of.

“What’s really funny is that the officer that got called out to the goat this time is the same officer that responded to a goat wandering around a Carl’s Jr.” last year, Welsh said. “She is our official goat officer now.”

Sometimes, Welsh said, people like to adopt a sweet-natured goat to keep their horses company.

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Comments

[Fed Up]

Probably need to come up with a more politically correct term than "riding shotgun".

[JustSayin]

"Helmet"? Where's that? ;)

[Frogtosser]

You got the name of my home town wrong. It's Hemet. Not Helmet.

[Mike]

Uh...it's "Hemet" not "Helmet"...I would know, I used to live there

[Johnson Smith]

Helmet? Drunken louts joyriding with captive goat can only mean one thing - Hemet.

[SouthBay Dan]

A drunken goat had a shotgun? Must be a teabagger!

[annie]

yeah, i didn't really like the headline saying "riding shotgun". i think we need to put that express away.

hahaha i know the town of Hemet but i didn't even notice the misspelling!

Johnson Smith hahaha i almost thought the same thing, but there are louts everywhere now it seems.

[SP]

This one's just too easy...

[JP]

I thought I was reading a spoiler for "The Hangover 2"

[Astonished]

Come-on guys! The goat was the designated driver!

[Leslie]

Okay. Just the headline alone gave me the best laugh since I saw George Carlin perform last year ... and then I really lost it when I got to the second paragraph. Tears came though in paragraph four! HILARIOUS. I'm from Texas I had never seen this!

[Ken]

The goats they get much prettier at closin time

[Erin M]

" his passenger in the back seat leapt out"

Last time I checked, riding "shotgun" meant being in the front seat.

Helmet? Way to go.

FAIL

[WTF]

Was it a male or female goat?

[Mark]

Can't a self-respecting goat go for a ride in these United States anymore?

[L.A Woman]

Animal Cruelty Charges !!!
For emotional & physical suffering this Goat had felt.
This is not funny .

[Randy]

Probably on his way to a crazy bachelor party.

[kc]

Wow. Arkansas comes to California. YeeHaw!

[donlitterst]

He-meth

[Ryan]

I think the goat was rescued from being raped.

[Harry A. Hole]

so the jackhole driver couldn't remember where the goat came from? well, it is hemet. probably his date.

[PAUL]

I LIVE IN HEMET..LOVE IT!

[BTD]

Isn't this common in the Inland Empire???

[BEER APE]

Ya after a few beers who knows what would happen

[Stella]

Too funny....